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Plesiopleurodon wellesi

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Polycotylidae

Taxonomy
Plesiopleurodon wellesi was named by Carpenter (1996). Its type specimen is CM 2815, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Near Connant Creek, Rattlesnake Hills (Plesiopleurodon type locality), which is in a Cenomanian marine horizon in the 'Hailey Shales' Formation of Wyoming. It is the type species of Plesiopleurodon.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1996Plesiopleurodon wellesi Carpenter p. 263 figs. 1, 2

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
RankNameAuthor
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
—Romeriida
—Diapsida()
suborderSauropterygia
orderPlesiosauriade Blainville 1835
superfamilyPlesiosauroideaWelles 1943
familyPolycotylidaeWilliston 1908
genusPlesiopleurodon
specieswellesi

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Plesiopleurodon wellesi Carpenter 1996
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
K. Carpenter 1996Pliosaur most like Liopleurodon ferox; mandible with moderately long symphysis bearing 8 pairs of large caniniform teeth (short symphysis with 5-7 teeth in L. ferox, 5 or 6 teeth in Brachauchensis lucasi, Simolestes, and Rhomaleosaurus; long symphysis with 10-12 teeth in Pliosaurus, 18-20 in Dolichorhynchops osborni); teeth circular in cross section, nearly smooth on outer surfaces except near base (coarse striae in Polyptychodon sp., Pliosaurus, Rhomaleosaurus, and L. ferox); cervical ribs single-headed as in B. lucasi (double-headed in Jurassic pliosaurs); coracoid with long, slender inerpectoral bar (short bar in L. ferox and Peloneustes); postglenoid margin of glenoid deeply notched.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Environment: marineo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: aquatico
Depth habitat: surfaceo
Diet: carnivoreo
Reproduction: viviparouso
Created: 2009-07-20 06:05:48
Modified: 2011-08-12 01:58:15
Source: o = order
Reference: Kiessling 2004

Age range: Early/Lower Cenomanian or 99.60000 to 93.50000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Cenomanian99.6 - 93.5USA (Wyoming) Plesiopleurodon wellesi (type locality: 117845)